Spring Break 2

Well, Spring Break wasn't what I had expected. It began well. We took our time getting to South Carolina. We left home on Monday morning, stopping at the new Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, VA. It's really well done. Pop's photo is front and center on a display of an ontos in a Vietnamese village. He wanted to show it to someone, so turned to the man who was behind us walking through. Although presently an advisor to NATO, at the time he was a Russian advisor to the North Vietnamese and knew men on the opposite side during the Tet offensive in Hue. Wow! Face to face with "the enemy" and he wasn't Vietnamese!

We spent that night (Monday) in High Point, NC--furniture Mecca, USA. There were so many furniture stores and so few cars and people on the streets! It seemed almost deserted. We had a very friendly waitress, Crystal, at a local barbecue restaurant. On Tuesday we visited Grandmom in Winston-Salem and drove through the Wake Forest campus on the way to Simpsonville, SC. We arrived in time for supper at Grandmother and Grandfather's. The well pump broke shortly before or after our arrival (could have used Peter's expertise) so we spent the night at Aunt Beth and Uncle Scott's.

Wednesday was cool and rainy--not at all a day for swimming. Kindly Aunt Beth took people to do some of their favorite things--David and Stephen went to Franky's Arcade while Elisabeth and Sarah went to the local arts and crafts supply store and later to Target. The kids had pizza for supper and the adults had Chinese. The pump had been replaced, so we headed to spend the night at Grandmother's. About midnight we got a call from Aunt Pam telling Pop his sister Barbara had died that evening.

Thursday was a glorious day--sunny, breezy, and comfortably warm. William and Jesse went to the pound with Aunt Beth to play with the kittens and puppies. Pop went golfing with Uncle Scott and we celebrated Grandfather's 80th birthday (belatedly) with a cook-out. After considering our options we decided to drive to Kentucky for Aunt Barbara's memorial to be held on Friday evening. We drove several hours before stopping for the night and continued the 9 hour drive the following day. Aunt Judy and Uncle Al with their daughters Diane and Mary (with some of their children), Aunt Debbie, Aunt Pam, Uncle Bill and Aunt Joanne, and Grandmom were all there. It was a most unusual "service"--held at the local Moose club with one brief testimonial of Barbara's love for her friends and the Moose, and then the regular Friday night Karaoke, Pop was politely asked NOT to speak. It was an interesting look at a different sub-culture. I know how the evangelical church does funerals--singing of hymns, readings from Scripture, a gospel sermon, and a meal prepared by the women of the church. Singing in celebration might be a good thing to add! I'd like the Beatles, Eagles, show tunes from Oklahoma, 7 Brides, Pirates of Penzance, etc. if you're compiling a list.

We stuck around for some of the singing and then began the 16 hour trek home. We took a long-cut through West Virginia (which was beautiful) and arrived home at about 9:30 on Saturday night. Needless to say, I didn't get much photography or blogging accomplished, so I'll put that back on the back burner and try again in June! It was far from a restful vacation--but with only about 7 more weeks of school left in the year, we're in the home stretch and I'm eager to finish well.